Rude Awakenings
by margotb
Summary: The Glades fell, Tommy lived, but Oliver still ran. Tommy expects some changes when he wakes up but Oliver's girl Friday wasn't one of them. It should have been.
1. Waking Up

I'm rather overwhelmed by the responses I've gotten, so here's a little something that's been floating around in my brain for a while now. Tommy lives AU! In which he wakes up to some surprises, none of which were the ones he expected.

This is so unbeted it's crazy. This may become a separate fic, because I have ideas but we'll see.

* * *

The first time Tommy woke up it was because of the nightmares. Well, that and how real the pain felt shooting through his lower chest. There was a flurry of people, vaguely familiar voices called to him in his delirium but it faded quickly then he felt at ease again.

He was somewhat aware of the people there, coming and going. Thea's hands held on to his left hand tightly; as if she left go she'd lose him. He wanted to squeeze her hands. To open his eyes and look at her, make some self deprecating comment about himself to get her to smile, but heaviness never left him. 

Oliver hovered around for sometime, saying little but Tommy knew he was there. Laurel came to sit with him everyday, rarely leaving his side for the first week and a half. Oddly enough it wasn't any of them who surrounded him when he woke up. Blinking rapidly he looked around slowly, sunlight low in the windows, but bright enough to make out a silhouette in the corner. After a moment Felicity came into focus, one foot on the chair with her chin perched on her knee as she held her book. 

"Any goo-" his voice came out low and raspy, flem catching in his throat as he started to cough. Yelping is surprise she dropped her book and looked up at him moving to get him some water. She looked around slightly panicked before digging out a straw from her purse and bringing it over to him.

After finishing the glass of water, she refilled it and set it on the side table before going to grab a nurse. Tommy laid back, watching as a she reentered behind some nurses and doctors.

"We need to check-" one of the nurses started but Felicity stopped, barely in the door.

"Just let me know when I can come back in," she said, pointing in the direction of the door with one hand while the other went to her pocket to retrieve her phone.

"Don't," Tommy started, getting her attention before she left. His voice still raspy from the oxygen tube and lack of use, he cleared his throat.

"Don't tell him," he finally got out. Felicity didn't need further explanation, just nodded after a moment.

"Or Laurel," he added, Felicity's foot already out of the door. She nodded again in recognition of the request but didn't look at him.

After fifteen minutes they allowed Felicity back in the room, Tommy now sitting up in bed. The nurse finished taking blood, before reattaching the IV fluids and turning to Felicity..

"Everything looked fine, but we're running a few more tests, just in case," she said to an edgy looking Felicity. She nodded and smiled before the nurse left, Felicity's eyes flitting about to anything except Tommy.

"You've got a horrible poker face you know," he said, her eyes finally meeting his, eyebrows up in what he guessed was surprise.

"I didn't te-"

"Look, I'm assuming he's footing the bill for the private room since I'm assuming I'm broke. It makes sense, you work with him so-"

"I didn't tell him. Couldn't if I wanted too, but I wouldn't since you asked me not to. He's not here," she cut in. Tommy looked at her in confusion as she stood and started pacing.

"Well, obviously he's not _here_. It'd be rather difficult to hide 200 or so pounds of pure muscle and not see him here. He's stealthy, but I don't think he's the type to hide behind the curtains and risk having his shoes seen," she rambled on, gesturing to the curtains by the window as she paced in front of the chair she had vacated.

She stopped pacing, turning to look at Tommy's confused if not slightly amused expression. With a deep breath she finally spoke the words she'd been avoiding.

"He's gone, has been for a little over a week now." Her voice was softer and sounded to Tommy, a little defeated.

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"A little over three weeks now,"

Three weeks? Tommy's hand moved to his face, then hair in shock. It seemed he was growing a short beard, his hair longer and more uneven than it had been in-well, ever.

"So this," he said pointing to his face. "Is just a welcome back gift, along with the 21 gun salute outside my door?" He asked her, having noted the officers when she left but unable to get an answer from the medical staff.

Felicity gave him a weak smile, looking from him to the guarded doorway and back. She was silent for a while, a debate seeming to be going on inside her mind if the lost look in her eyes was anything to go by.

"Well, first off, those are cops. You're thinking army. Hopefully, they won't be needed. You were moved because of an attack. It seemed that with the chaous someone slipped in and attempted to-" her hands started moving as she spoke, her phone balanced on her knee as she went on without taking a breath.

"Couldn't get to Daddy dearest, so they settled for second best?" Tommy filled in, despite being rough from disuse Felicity heard the anger, pain and spite in his voice perfectly.

"I'm assuming they saw it that way," she said, moving the chair closer to his bed a little. Her phone vibrated, looking down she saw the message from Diggle. He was five minutes out.

"So, because of that, there's a plan," she started slowly. Having just completely woken up she didn't wish to overwhelm him but felt he needed to know. He didn't know her well, didn't trust her like Diggle or Oliver so while it was needed, it didn't mean he had any reason to trust her.

"Plan?"

"Yeah," her phone vibrated again, another message from Diggle**.**

**Don't tell him yet.**

"Crap on a cracker," she sighed, picking up the phone and responding before she looked up at him.

"Oliver's?" Tommy asked, his voice was angry and more than a little distainful.

"No, mine." She informed him, his eyes softening slightly before Diggle entered. 

"So, what's he know?"

"I know I'm awake and right here, so I can respond to questions asked about me," he informed him as Diggle stopped by the foot of his bed and handing a plastic bag to Felicity, before crossing his arms and glaring at him.

There was the noise of a shopping bag rustling, but it did little to deter the staring contest between the two men. After Felicity checked the bag's contents she rolled her eyes at the two men before her.

"Fine, I know there was an attempt on my life. I know I've been out for about three weeks, Oliver's MIA, no one's mentioned my father and I'm not sure if I'm relieved by that. Laurel and Thea have been around at times, there are guards and my door and I have a beard. Which may or may not have to do with some sort of plan.**"**

Diggle nodded at him, "Was that so difficult?"

Tommy muttered under his breath and reached for the glass of water as Diggle and Felicity seemed to have a silent conversation.

A resolved sigh escaped Felicity before she reached into the plastic bag and pulled out two boxes and set them beside him in his bed. He looked from them to her in confusion.

"So, have you ever had any interest in being blond or a red head?"


	2. Locating Him

This had started off as a drabble, but it grew. This is the first new chapter. Unbetaed, feedback welcomed!

* * *

"You're looking for him, aren't you?" Tommy's voice jarred her from her trance, as he stood in her bathroom. She balked at first, not sure what to say. In the past few months they had become friends, but never really broached the Oliver subject. At least not directly.

"No, I think it's about time," he explained further, stopping her suddenly, inspecting his hair in the mirror.

"I'm still not sure about this, I think I could have pulled off the blonde," he said, playing with wisps of his hair attempting to change the subject.

Sitting up on her bed, she folded her legs underneath her as she turned to him. "First off, with great blonde comes with great responsibility. Secondly...maybe. And if I was?"

Tommy balked, "Are you implying that I couldn't handle the responsibility of being blonde?"

"No, Merlyn, I'm saying it. The responsibility is too much for you. But don't change the topic," she chided him as he finally turned to face her. Sighing, he exited the bathroom, moving to sit next to her on the edge of the bed, before promptly collapsing down, stretching his legs. She noticed the grimace of pain that went across his features but didn't comment.

"My feelings aren't apart of this. He needs to be here, for Thea, for Moira, QC…" he trailed off, looking at the ceiling, the paintings, photographs, around her room. Anything but her.

"Oliver's had his time away. Not all of us were so lucky," he continued, just loud enough to be overheard.

Her hand went to his arm, giving him a comforting squeeze. Tommy turned to her with a small smile, his other hand covering hers on his arm.

After that she set to find him with more dedication than before. It had been nearly three months since he had left. With threats against his life becoming a serious issue Felicity had worked with Officer Lance to set up a better option. Officially Tommy Merlyn had just woken up from a coma, a John Doe having been placed in his room shortly after he woke. In the mean time, Tommy stayed with Felicity, hair now a deep red, longer and more "lumberjack" as Felicity dubbed it. Physical therapy came to them at first, before Tommy felt comfortable enough leaving the apartment. Oliver had now been gone over four months. Felicity had thought she caught a break a few times but they fell through, bastard actually listened to her.

"I got him," she said quietly to herself, having left Verdant for the day after overseeing additional work on the lair.

She checked, double checked, even triple checked it before sending it along to Diggle for verification on his part. She then sent one to Tommy.

Within moments her front door was open, Tommy bursting in with an uneven but excited gait through her door.

"You're sure this time, I mean you've been wrong before, Smoak…" he teased, making his way to her room.

"Can it, Merlyn. I triple checked it before sending it off to Diggle. His contacts should be able to verify wheth-" she was cut off by the vibrations of her phone.

**You got him. Pack now, be ready. Don't know when we'll get out.**

She stared blankly at her phone, reading and rereading the words. After so many tries had been used to Diggle's responses of sympatheitic failure. She hadn't been ready to recieve this news, despite how often she tried.

"So, I take it by the look of shock that you really found him?" Tommy asked, jolting her back to the present. Felicity nodded, handing the phone to him. He was met with silence, which worried him slightly. Felicity was rarely silent.

"What does one pack for an island possibly abandoned, but also possibly crawling with dangerous people? Snacks and kevlar vest obviously, but shorts or jeans?"

Felicity leveled him with a look that he'd come to both amuse him (when not directed at him) and terrify him (when it most often was directed at him), one eyebrow pointedly raised and her expression one of well...he didn't want to think on that.

"I told you, you'd regret setting me up across the hall," he explained handing back the phone to her. Since his funds were frozen for the time being Felicity set up a dummy account, syphoning off part of the ludicrous amount of money Oliver put in her bank account into one for him. With three apartments on each floor, it seemed obvious to set him up with the one across from her. The other belonging to a travel writer who wasn't often around. Should he need the help, or anything arise there'd be someone to see to it. However she didn't anticipate his boredom level.

"Don't remind me," she shook her head, getting up and going to her closet as Tommy sat in front of her computer, looking at all the programs and windows opened.

"How'd you do it?"

"The last three times you've asked I told you and your eyes glazed over less than two minutes into the explanation. Just call it magic," Tommy nodded, not disagreeing. While he found it amazing that she could do this, the details seemed...so technical. Besides, he rather liked the idea of being friends with a witch. A perky, snarky, petite blonde witch who could silence him quicker than most. Which was just another example of her magic skills.****

"When do we leave?"

Felicity had picked up a jacket, a utility sort, green with pockets more pockets then anyone really has need for when his words registered. She turned laughing, before throwing the jacket at him.****

"You're _not_ joining us," Tommy started with a response but was cut off by another look from Felicity.

"You're barely fully mobile yet. Besides, you leaving for any amount of time will raise suspicions. Not to mention, it highly raises the stakes that Diggle will succeed in murdering you."

"Touché," he agreed after thinking on it a moment.

"I do enjoy my hide being attached to me, thank you very much." Felicity just laughed, shaking her head at him turning back to her closet.


	3. Bringing Him Back

**This took a bit longer because I wasn't sure how to do this. In the end I decided to keep some of the canon but tweak it. I own nothing, sadly this is all just an idea of a poor woman with no money. Only mentions of Tommy in this chapter, promise he'll be back in the next chapter.**

**I'd love to know your thoughts, comments keep me going and let me know this isn't complete drivel. Mostly, but not complete drivel.**

* * *

They made it to Beijing without issue, spending a day gathering supplies before getting on a flight to Quingdao, the most likely place to find a pilot. It was another two days of arguments with locals before they found someone to take them. Grabbing their packs they made their way to the airstrip (Felicity used the term loosely). She looked from Diggle to the plane and back again.

"You can't be serious," she said under her breath as their pilot argued with someone.

"It's the best I could find, no one else seemed willing to do this as is. Still want to drag him back?" She looked over wryly at Diggle, slinging her backpack onto her back. While she knew him to be jesting, she just glared at him for mentioning it. He laughed.

"I've gone through too much to back out now. Besides, I plan on letting him know just what he put us through!" She said, walking towards the plane with determination. She sent off a message to Tommy, with a photo of the plane.

We never spoke about religion, but if you could say a prayer for us, I'd appreciate it. - Felicity

P.S. If I die, there is a disc in my night table drawer. Put it in my computer and press "Start", it'll take care of everything else.

The rest had gone smoothly enough, well after jumping from a plane and nearly being blown up by a landmine before being saved by a sweaty shirtless Oliver. She'd had dreams like this, but it never involved a landmine.

"You shouldn't have come here,"

If she weren't so dazed by nearly having been blown up she might have smacked him. After ensuring that all parties were alright they had made it back to what Felicity had dubbed 'base camp' in her head without speaking.

"We would have emailed but it's not exactly a wi fi hotspot," Diggle commented as they entered the abandoned plane.

"This where you lived when you were here? I mean, the first time you were here," Felicity asked, attempting to ease some of the tension. It didn't work.

"For some of it," Oliver replied in a low voice, clearly meant to end the topic there.

"Could you at least pretend like you're glad to see us? Digg and I spent weeks tracking you down, we've traveled halfway across the world and this morning we flew in a plane so old I'm pretty sure I was safer once I jumped out of it, you could... at least offer us a water," Oliver making no attempts at a verbal response as Diggle paced behind her, instead turning to retrieve the aforementioned water.

"Or...coconut?" Oliver smiled despite himself before turning back to face her, his lips slightly upturned into a small smile as he approached.

"Fresh out of coconuts." He replied, handing her the canteen and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I am happy to see you," he went on, his voice softer than it had been before. Then all too quickly he stepped back.

"I know why you're here, I'm not coming back to Starling City. I can't, my mission, my Father's list-it was a fools crusade and I failed," Felicity and Diggle listened in silence, letting him argue his point before jumping in to correct him.

"Malcolm Merlyn destroyed the Glades," he paused looking at his partners before he continued, voice quieter.

"Tommy-" he faltered, his eyes closing and jaw tightening guilt written all over his face. Diggle looked to Felicity, the two having a silent conversation as Oliver lost himself in thought.

"The Hood couldn't stop it, so don't ask me to put it on again, ever."

There was a moment of palpable silence before Diggle's voice broke through.

"This isn't about you being the vigilante, this is about you being Oliver Queen. Your mother's in prison, Oliver. Her trial is coming up. Thea's out on her own, your family needs you."

"So does the family business. All the bad press after the Undertaking left Queen Consolidated ripe for a hostile takeover by Stellmoor International. They've gutted every company they've taken over. Once they gobble up Queen Consolidated 30,000 employees are going to be out of a job. Including...one very blonde IT expert. And Tommy…" Felicity paused, not sure how much to say they hadn't discussed it and by the way Oliver's jaw tensed she wasn't sure it'd help at the moment.

"Tommy's awake," it was barely above a whisper but it was enough to get a reaction. Although saying nothing, Oliver's shoulders tensed for a moment, the mask he usually wore cracked at the mention of his name. Dozens of questions in his eyes but he verbalized none. It was the barest bones of the truth, but it had worked.

"Listen, I get why you had to leave, Oliver. Probably better than anybody else," Diggle explained, slowly approaching Oliver.

"And after what happened, nobody can blame you for leaving," Oliver simply shook his head, hanging it in shame, and a great deal of guilt.

"But it's time for you to come home."

When they finally made it to the airplane that'd take them home Felicity was exhausted, while there were things to go over for QC, unanswered questions about Moira's case and Tommy none were spoke of. Oliver spent most of the time gazing out the window, Diggle slept, while Felicity watched enviously. Slept eluded her, everytime she closed her eyes it was something else, the first time it had been the jump. Except the parachute didn't work and she woke startled and lashing out, Diggle quickly startled from sleep was able to calm her.

The next time was simply nature calling inconveniently. Grumbling she looked around, Diggle once more fast asleep next to her. At some point she'd taken off her glasses, the dim lights of the plane making it even more difficult to see which way to the bathroom. A gentle touch on her knee startled her initially before realizing who the hand belonged to. Leaning toward her, she met him halfway.

"Towards the tail on the lefthand side," he murmured quietly to allow Diggle to sleep. Smiling Felicity nodded, smiling a sheepish thank you before getting up. He grabbed her hand before she left, halting her momentarily.

"If you see the kitchen area, you've gone too far," he continued.

Making her way she returned in quick order, tossing a small bag of pretzels his way. He watched her as she returned to her seat, fastening her seat belt. When she returned his gaze she found one eyebrow raised in question and smiled.

"I went too far," she explained with a shrug. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, watching as she tucked one leg beneath her.

"On purpose," she clarified, opening the bag of pretzels she got for herself. After her snack she shifted about for sometime trying to find a comfortable position, trying not to lean on Diggle's shoulder as she drifted off. But it was comfortable and perfectly placed so she gave into sleep.

The final time started off innocently enough, the anxiety of showing Oliver the new and improved lair still weighed on her. There was no guarantee he'd take up the mask-or bow as it were, again. Finding herself in the basement wasn't a surprise, she had turned the lights on and was going through some of the improvements she'd made. Diggle stood off to the side, a pleased look on his face as he looked at Felicity. Oliver however, said nothing, simply taking in the updated surroundings as she prattled on. As he continued to show no response the babbling continued, as usual taking random turns along the way as time seemed to slow down.

But then, when she thought it couldn't get worse the walls started to shake. The ground moved and cracks in the foundation started to appear as pieces of the ceiling started to fall. Paralyzed for a moment she looked behind her to find herself alone as larger pieces of equipment shook and shattered, debris and lighting falling faster.

While not a particular fan of turbulence, it came with the territory of air travel. Oliver's jaw clenched as they his a rough spot and the pilot came over the loudspeakers. The fasten seatbelt sign now lit, he took a deep breath and tried to think of something else. A whimper drew Oliver out of his thoughts, his eyes shifting to Felicity with her head now resting against the plane, leaving her how Diggle had gently moved her when he woke to stretch his legs.

"No…"

Her eyes shuddered as her whimpering grew louder, her head moving back and forth as her whimpers became a panicked cries of no.

He heard a door opening, heavy steps approaching, followed by a lighter softer step. Diggle reached them, a well worn face of worry on his features as he looked af Felicity.

"Mr. Queen, the captain has turned on the fasten seat belts sign, please-"

Oliver scowled in response, the woman taking the hint and scurrying off before he returned his focus to Felicity.

"Felicity," he called out softly, unbuckling the seat belt before he realized it, kneeling in front of her. Her hands were clenched tightly to the seat rests, knuckles white with tension. She let out a startled cry, a few errant tears falling down her cheeks as they hit a particular rough patch. Diggle managed to get back into his seat, moving an arm around her shoulders.

"Felicity," Diggle repeated her name softly, the thumb on her shoulder moving in comforting circles. There was heavy lurch to the left, her hands tightening on the seat rests as her mouth opened but nothing came out. After a moment the seat belt light was switched off, the plane's path smoothing out.

"Felicity, you're safe," Oliver said softly as his hands covered hers, running his thumbs lightly over her fingers.

A strangled sound came out before she opened her eyes, frantically looking around her for any signs of crumbling walls, swinging light fixtures, falling equipment. Satisfied that there were none she looked from Diggle to Oliver, slipping a hand from beneath Oliver's to wipe away the tears before offering them a weak smile.

"I'm fine," she choked out, her free hand moving to pat Oliver's hand that still held hers. Oliver looked her over before looking at Diggle, having a seemingly silent conversation before he gave her hand a light squeeze and moved back to his seat.

The rest of the flight was considerably calmer.


End file.
